1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a transport apparatus enabling loading, transport, and unloading an aircraft such as, but not restricted to, a rotary wing aircraft, commonly known as a helicopter.
2. Background Information
Helicopter transport trailers for moving helicopters relatively short distances at relatively low speeds, i.e. walking speeds, on an airfield are known in the trade. As the retail price of helicopters has increased over the years, better helicopter transport trailers are needed. Also, existing helicopter transport trailers are not suited for highway transport. The current method of transporting a multimillion dollar military or commercial helicopter is to use a flatbed truck. The helicopter is loaded and unloaded at beginning and ending destination by a crane. A second truck and flatbed trailer are required on both ends as well as specialized slings, rigging and personnel to get the aircraft on and off of the trailer. An alternate procedure for recovering a helicopter off-road is to sling-load and move with a cargo helicopter, which is an even more expensive and complicated procedure.
To recover a helicopter from the field currently requires a crane and specialized sling and rigging. The operation using a sling requires several people to guide the helicopter onto a flatbed trailer to avoid damage and to release the sling. A second truck and flatbed trailer are required to deliver the crane to the aircraft site for recovery and are also required at the destination to offload the aircraft from the flatbed. Alternate traditional means require sling-loading and movement by a separate aircraft heavy enough to lift the helicopter, which is a very expensive and complicated procedure.                U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,435 (Stringer) discloses a trailer for use in transporting a load from one area to another area has a frame and a bed operatively mounted to the frame which is capable of being moved from a first or lowered position to a second or elevated position in a substantially vertical manner or non-tilting manner. At least one lifting mechanism is operatively connected to the bed, which applies the greatest force for lifting the bed from the lowered position to the elevated position at the beginning of the lift, rather than at an end or midpoint of the lift. At least one over-center latching mechanism secures the bed to the frame when the bed is in the elevated position.        U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,026 (Zalewski, et al.) discloses a vehicle body lowering system for installation in a motor vehicle having a wheeled carriage, a cargo/passenger compartment body, a door in the passenger compartment body for cargo loading and unloading or passenger embarking and debarking, and a spring suspension for the buoyant support of the body above the carriage between a lower position and an upper position. The components of the vehicle body lowering system include a hydraulic cylinder mounted within the body, a power source, a manually actuated control for energizing and de-energizing the power source, and an interconnection extending through the body between the cylinder and the carriage. The interconnection is characterized by an operative condition at which the body is in the lower position under the control of the power source, and an inoperative condition at which the body is freely subject to the buoyant support of the spring suspension.        U.S. Pat. No. 4,374,592 (Geary, et al.) discloses a vehicle transporter is disclosed, for use in filming scenes in which characters are shown as occupying a moving vehicle, and in which the characters, and adjacent parts of the vehicle, appear in the foreground, and which transporter can also be used for straightforward transportation of such a vehicle by road. The vehicle transporter comprises a low flat platform so contrived that the vehicle in question can readily be driven or wheeled onto it from behind, the transporter having at its front end a relatively raised structure, carrying castor wheels, and having a draw bar bearing a towing attachment.        U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,590 (Crate) discloses a boat is supported on a wheeled trailer frame by idler rollers and by powered rollers, of a self-adjusting type, located adjacent the rear end of the trailer frame from which the boat is loaded or unloaded. The powered rollers are driven by drive motors through self-locking gears to effect loading or unloading. The boat is held in a transport position on the trailer frame by the powered rollers through the self-locking gearing when the drive motors are de-energized.        U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,324 (Carrick) discloses a trailer for carrying a centerboard type sailboat behind a towing vehicle. The trailer includes longitudinally flexible bunks that receive and conform intimately to the hull configuration on opposite sides of the longitudinal boat center line. A walking beam arrangement is located between the bunks and carrying frame to enable free flexing of the bunks while transferring weight of the boat to the framework. The longitudinal resiliency of the bunks enables loading and unloading of the sailboat in relatively shallow water and further facilitates even distribution of the sailboat weight over the entire bunk surface engaged therewith.        
As will be seen in the subsequent description, the aircraft transport apparatus of the present invention overcomes the shortcomings of prior art.